Five things that made me happy today – 8/31/21

The miracle of autumn is coming: the season when change is decidedly beautiful, the days when creation testifies to the power of rest and death to make room for life.

Rachel Hackenberg

1. A little misty this morning, and still cool and cloudy – temperature 49 deg. The heater had to come on to warm the house up to 70 deg. I think this is the first morning this summer that it was below 50. It’s only 64 deg this afternoon.

2. Based on the weather (although the calendar says it’s not even September), I got out my orange table cloth and my fall decorations.

I also rearranged my closet to feature fall-themed sweatshirts. I still have t-shirts available, though. Some people get a charge out of early spring. Give me fall any day.

3. Since it’s Tuesday, we each fixed our own lunches. I had a ham sandwich with sliced tomato and onion. (I’ll keep the tomatoes as long as I can even though I’m dreaming of colder weather.)

4. The housekeepers came today and I have a clean kitchen, clean bathrooms, clean sheets on the beds, swept, vacuumed, and mopped floors.

5. Greisser Girls Gab this afternoon. We solve the problems of the world every week!

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 8/30/21

It is a powerful practice to be generous when you are the one feeling in need.

Allan Lokos

1. Sunshine and low 50s when I woke up this morning. I was glad of a cup of hot tea when I first got up. It clouded up before 8:00 and, although there have been sporadic sun breaks It hasn’t warmed up much.

2. After breakfast I went to Safeway and picked up the groceries I had ordered last night. Just a few things like milk, bread and crackers. Only they didn’t have the crackers I ordered for Big Al, so I ran inside and got a substitute. While I was there, the little individual ice cream sundaes called to me, so I got them as well.

3. Lunch was ham, boiled red skin potatoes, and corn on the cob. This is probably the last corn of the season.

4. The laundry is all washed, dried, folded and hung up.

5. We ARE having Gazebo Group, but I may or may not go. It’s still pretty cool, and I’m pretty tired. Mondays wear me out with laundry, shopping, and gathering up the garbage to take out to the curb so it will be picked up tomorrow morning. At least the housekeepers come tomorrow.

BONUS: I’ve got relatives and friends in southern Louisiana, and I’ve been worried about them all day. They are all well, but have no electricity and the roads are all flooded. Spare a thought for them. THANKS!

Highway 51 is flooded after Hurricane Ida struck LaPlace, Louisiana, U.S., August 30, 2021. Mickey Welsh/Montgomery Advertiser/USA TODAY Network via REUTERS MANDATORY CREDIT THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 8/29/21

…every time we think we’ve measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we’re reminded that that capacity may well be limitless. This is a time for American heroes.

Jed Bartlett, The West Wing, Season 4

1. Beautiful blue PNW skies – mid 50s this morning. Mid 70s this afternoon under sunny skies.

2. In church this morning we looked at the last of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation – Laodicea. This is where the saying “You are neither hot nor cold, so I will spit you out of my mouth” comes from. That church was rich and fairly powerful and didn’t think they needed anyone else. Reminds me of several churches I’ve known who’ve ended up greatly diminished or closed.

3. I went to a Mission Study group picnic and meeting in one of the parks after church. We are preparing to call a new pastor, so this is one of the steps for writing our Church Information Form that will allow pastors to apply. We talked about our spiritual gifts and practices to clarify what we want.

4. I was able to see snippets of the Cowboys’ game. Alas, it looks like they are sadly unimpressive again this year. They lost to the Jaguars 34-14.

5. Big Al wanted to go get SUSHI, so after my picnic in the park (I didn’t eat much there), we went to Mandolin This is one of the few times we can go on a Sunday, because they don’t open until 4:00, and Al wants dinner at noon.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 8/28/21

The ability to contradict reality in broad daylight and to be lauded for it is a fearsome ability…

Rocky Supinger

1. Pretty day today. Low 50s this morning, mid-70s this afternoon. Blue, blue PNW skies.

2. Big Al had a Zoom meeting this morning, so I decided to go over to the Wellness Center early, before lunch. It feels good not to have that little chore hanging over my head.

3. We each fixed our own sandwiches for lunch. I had ham, with onion, and tomato on Killer Dave’s bread.

4. The first PAC-12 game of the season was on at lunchtime. UCLA v Hawaii. Final 44-10. It was sad. Oregon needs to take notice because I think we have to play UCLA later in the year.

Dec 19, 2020; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) scrambles for yardage in the first half of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

5. I enjoyed watching a little mind-rot after the game. The new Ted Lasso, followed by more Friday Night Lights. A spectacularly restful Saturday.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 8/27/21

Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.

Harry S. Truman

1. Praise the LORD! I woke up this morning to WET streets. I didn’t hear the rain in the night, but the streets were wetter than the sprinklers ever get them. The sun came out about noon, but it didn’t warm up much. It topped out at 68 deg. in the full sun.

2. I finally got myself moving and had a pedicure. I’m always so happy when it’s done, but I have a hard time carving out 90 minutes to do it.

3. Because it’s still really cool and tomorrow is supposed to be a lot warmer, Big Al chose grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch. Comfort food.

4. I finished my Inspector Lynley (Well-Schooled in Murder) and have started on the next one, A Suitable Vengeance.

5. Ice cream this afternoon. It was almost too cool to sit outside and eat it, but it was okay in the sunshine..

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 8/26/21

The difference between a politician and a statesman is that a politician thinks about the next election while the statesman thinks about the next generation.

James Freeman Clarke

1. Cloudy and damp feeling this morning – 60 deg. when I got up – but, alas, no rain. This afternoon on the way home from the Wellness Center it was 66 deg and there was a mist! It wasn’t rain, but I’ll take whatever I can get.

2. Quiet morning catching up on emails and other information that came in yesterday while we were out most of the day.

3. Lunch was pork chops with Stovetop stuffing and cinnamon applesauce. I also made German cucumber salad and we had sliced tomatoes.

4. The sisters and I decided that the back of my hair was too long yesterday afternoon, so this afternoon I went back. My operator had just left when I got there, but the barber who works with her had an empty chair, so he trimmed it up and shaved my neck. Much better.

Yesterday.

Today

5. I went to the Wellness Center after lunch, and my trainer liked my new haircut.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 8/25/21

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason.

Mark Twain

1. Hazy and 50 deg when I got up this morning. It was 75 by the time we were finished unloading the car under sunny skies. A little more haze, but the wind has come up out of the west and it’s clearing so the on-shore flow is doing its job.

2. Commissary this morning. The best part was I didn’t have to cook breakfast because we stoped at McDonalds on the way. It’s a lot of shopping and walking on concrete floors with no place to sit down, but it’s only once every 6 weeks, so I guess it’s not too bad. I carry all the bags in (20 or more of them). Big Al does the putting away in the refrigerator, freezer, and cabinets.

3. I fetched Pita Pit pitas for our lunch. Pita Pit sent me a $10.50 coupon for my birthday, and I had $5.00 in rewards cash, so it only ended up costing me $5.25 including tax and tip..

4. Hair cut this afternoon. Here are the before and after pictures.

5. I’m ready to go sit in front of the TV and veg out. I’ve done a lot today!

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 8/24/21

Medicare and Social Security are not “entitlements.” They are savings that have been taken from our pay checks and from our employers as part of our salaries. They should be returned to us as we need them for our health.

Abbie Watters

1. The beginnings of a beautiful day – 52 first thing in the morning. It continued with a high in the mid 70s this afternoon.

2. I made one mistake on the NYT Crossword puzzle yesterday, but today I got it right with no hints! (That’s right – I won on a Tuesday – I may have graduated from Mondays only.)

3. I had my regular ham sandwich for lunch today, but I had a fresh tomato and an onion that I added to it! Tasty.

4. When I got home from the Wellness Center, I found a package on the doorstep. Big Al had gotten me some new Ducks’ gear – two t-shirts (one for when they are wearing black, and one for when they are wearing gold), and a long-sleeved green one that I can wear as a night shirt.

5. Greisser Girls Gab this afternoon. I can find out how the sisters are doing with the wild weather, and catch up on all their news.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 8/23/21

One doesn’t have to operate with great malice to do great harm. The absence of empathy and understanding are sufficient. 

Charles M. Blow

1. It was MUCH cooler this morning when I woke up – 50 deg. The sky was cloudy, but there were peeks of sunshine over the sound. I put on a sweatshirt because I decided I’m 77 years old and I know when I feel cold! The sun was out most of the day and it warmed up to 70 deg in time for Gazebo Group at 5:00 pm. I’m still wearing a sweatshirt because the breeze is pretty cool.

2. One of the fellows from maintenance came by this morning with some kitchen “remodelers” who said it was totally possible to replace my cracked and badly repaired sink. They are ordering a new one and will work on it when it arrives. (And there was much rejoicing!!!)

3. Big Al had his leftover spaghetti and meatball from yesterday. I decided that the clam chowder was so good yesterday, I would have some more today – only this time it wasn’t homemade – it was Progresso Lite!

4. The laundry is washed, dried, separated, and hung up! I’m always so happy when that little chore is in my rearview mirror.

5. My sister in New York State got a lot of rain last night and this morning, but it will end overnight as Henri blows himself out. And my cousin in Tennessee that I was so worried about yesterday is fine. The TV never says exactly where disasters happen, just “west of Nashville.” That, of course, is a lot of territory.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 8/22/21

Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

1. It was cool and cloudy when I woke up, 57 deg. It never really warmed up this afternoon, even though the sun played peek-a-boo with clouds all day. Eventually it clawed it’s way up to 66 deg. and stayed there with a northerly breeze.

2. The sermon today was about the church in Philadelphia in Revelations. The whole town was destroyed a couple times through the ages by storm and earthquake. Maybe we ought to rename Haiti.

3. For lunch we went to Pomodoro in the Proctor district. It’s a nice little Italian restaurant that’s on our regular Sunday rotation. Because it was so cool, both Al and I had soup for an appetizer – minestrone for Al, and clam chowder for me. Then he had spaghetti with a tennis-ball sized meatball and meat sauce. I had linguini with a garlic lemon butter sauce and clams and tomatoes and lots of basil. Yummy.

4. It looks like my sister and her husband in upstate New York dodged the bullet for Hurricane Henri. They are still ready with extra water to flush the toilets and electric lanterns. They are still keeping their cell phones charged up, just in case. Rhode Island seems to have gotten the worst of it. It looks like Henri will turn back to the East as it approaches the Massachusetts-New York state line. Fingers crossed!

5. I finally got warm at lunchtime, so I spent the afternoon sitting in my recliner and reading (and possibly examining the inside of my eyelids. 🙂

How about you? What made you happy today?